ENUGU – Thirty-three automobile mechanics were presented with modern diagnostic tools in Enugu on Friday after undergoing a three-week training aimed at closing the skills gap in modern vehicle repairs.
The training was a private-public partnership involving the National Automotive Council (NAC), the
[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN), SURE-P, the National Automotives Technicians Association (NATA) and Chibueze Motors Nig. Ltd, Enugu.
Addressing the trainees, the Director-General of NAC, Mr Aminu Jalal, said the training became necessary after the council realised from a skill gap analysis that Nigerian mechanics lacked the skills and equipment to properly maintain modern vehicles.
Jalal, who was represented by a director in the council, Mr Chika Nwokoye, said the collaboration with other agencies and the private sector was to bridge this gap and place the mechanics in a good stead to move with the trends.
“Technology in the auto sector advances continually and at a very fast pace. Most cars on our roads today are built with a lot of electronically controlled systems.
“The only way to meet up with this advancement is training and re-training, which is one of the main aims of the national automotive industry development plan,’’ he said.
He said that 1002 mechanics were involved in the training nationwide, adding that 1004 persons were trained in a similar programme last year.
Also speaking, the Zonal Coordinator of SMEDAN in the South East, Rev. Levi Anyikwa, said the agency provided entrepreneurship training for the mechanics to turn their skills into profitable ventures.
One of the beneficiaries of the training, Mr Benjamin Udekwe, thanked the sponsors for the programme, saying it had made them to realise the need for knowledge acquisition in the trade.
Udekwe called on the Enugu State Government to fast-track the movement of the mechanics to their permanent site at Umuatugboma in Enugu South Local Government Area. (NAN)
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